Green Hornet 3
by zirronis
Summary: The Hornet and Kato return to Japan to chase down Mr. X... only to find a link to Britt's past.


Green Hornet #3

by Jayson Morriseau-Lussier

Cover by Zirronis

_Created by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker  
Content based off "The Green Hornet" radio show (1936 - 1952)_

_He hunts the biggest of all game ... public enemies that even the G-Men cannot reach. With his faithful valet Kato, Britt Reid, daring young publisher, matches wits with the Underworld, risking his life so that criminals and racketeers within the law may feel its weight by the sting of the Green Hornet! Ride with Britt Reid as he races toward another thrilling adventure! The Green Hornet strikes again! _

_Last time we left Kato and the Green Hornet they were outwitted by the mysterious Mr. X. X had lured The Green Hornet into a trap to try and get him killed, but unknown to both the Hornet and X was that Lacey Butler was the real killer at the docks. Britt and she had struck up a relationship but it was not to be... Our story continues as Britt Reid and Kato head to the _

"_The Land of the Rising Sun" part 1_

Britt Reid and Kato had relaxed a bit on the plane trip over the Pacific. It had been a long flight and the two friends had discussed the Mr. X case in depth. Both knew that X had outwitted them and even drawn a killer into the web that Britt had never saw coming. Reid was watching the clouds as his private jet was circling around in the air for an open runway at Tokyo Narita International Airport was busy with traffic coming and going. Britt had straighten his tie and his jacket as the plane touched down finally.

"So are you excited about coming back home, Kato?"

"Yes, Mista Britt but I know why we come and I know we come for one reason to catch Mr. X." Kato nodded at him.

"Well, that's true but I am talking about you getting together with your parents?" Reid raised an eyebrow at his friend and assistant. He knew Kato was utterly loyal to him, but he also knew that he had missed his parents quite a bit.

"Funny you bring that up, Mista Britt. They invite you and I to dinner sometime we have available." Kato nodded as Reid nodded for a moment.

"Does your father still work for Hokkaido?"

"No, he retired a few year now, Mista Britt."

"Okay, well, I don't want to intrude."

"They expect us." Kato reassured him.

"Okay, I don't want to insult them either." Britt chuckled as he grabbed his luggage and put it into the trunk of the private car that picked them up from the plane. They arrived at Hilton Tokyo Bay Hotel. It was luxurious by most standards that he had been at. There was two room that were reserved and Reid went to the front desk where the concierge handed him a message in an envelope.

"Welcome to Hilton Tokyo Bay, Mr. Reid." The young woman smiled. Britt nodded and smiled back.

"Thank you." He opened the message as he read what it said;

Britt,

I was called by Ed Lowery from your paper. He said that you were coming to Japan to try and chase a story. I would very much like to see you again, Britt. Please contact me when you get a chance.

Regards,

Akira

Britt breathed in heavily as he muttered under his breath. "I am going kick your butt, Lowery." He muttered as bellhops had put Kato and Reid's luggage on a luggage train. They made their way up to the Presidential Suites where Britt took out his cell to see if he had service. The cell did register service and he dialed Akira's number.

"Hello Britt I didn't expect you to call so soon." Akira's soft voice was soothing to the ears as he shook his head.

"I got your message just a few minutes ago, so.. I am not sure what or why you...?"

"I know contact at Hokkaido that can help me and you, Britt."

"Okay, but how did you know?"

"Lowery told me."

Britt could see he might go around and around with Akira, so decided to cut to the chase. "Last time we saw each other you told me that were never going to be able to be together."

"You were eighteen and I was younger, Britt." Akira sighed quietly. "I don't want to bring up the past, but I would like to help you."

"Okay we can discuss this tomorrow we just got in and..."

"I know, and that's fine. I will see you tomorrow then."

"Okay goodbye Akira." He closed the cell and put it on the table. His smooth back his blonde hair as he looked at Kato. "I don't know why but I don't entirely trust her."

"She not exactly on good terms with you over the years." Kato nodded. "But, she might be able to help us." 

"She's on the Board of the Regents for Kyoshi Tech, but I don't believe she'd have any inside knowledge about Hokkaido or not, but we can't take much chance." 

"I agree, Mista Britt."

"Okay well, I am going to get some rest, you should go see your parents."

"I rest as, but I will go home soon." Kato nodded as he headed to his own suite. Reid took his hat and put it on the dresser and he went to the bathroom and he saw a note hanging on the mirror. This note caught him off guard but he took it of the window read it.

"You were foolish to follow me here, Hornet. It will cost you very much.

X."

Reid folded the note and put it in his shirt pocket and sat down on the chair that looked over Tokyo Bay. He was going to need to plan his next move and it would need to be one that would surprise even Mr. X.

~GH~

The Next Day...

Kato and Reid had been invited Kato's parents house. Reid carried in a small bouquet of flowers and placed them into Mrs. Kato's arms. Reid bowed to her. "Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. And Mrs. Kato."

"Son of Danny Reid always welcome, Mista Britt." Kato's father bowed in return to Reid and both men took off their shoes and put on house shoes as was Japanese custom. "Your trip over good?"

"Yes, it was good, but I couldn't get much rest though." Reid nodded.

"I am sorry for that. Please join us for tea." Both younger men sat down on their knees as they waited for Mrs. Kato to serve them. It was an ornate ceremony that required certain movements and protocol. Being an outsider the Katos forgave Britt's outsider clumsiness. "So do you enjoy tea, Mista Britt?"

"Yes sir, very much." Britt nodded. "Ikano was telling me that you had retired from Hokkaido."

"Yes that true." The elder Kato nodded. "Ikano why you not speak?"

"I wait to speak to you after, Father."

"Speak now we hold nothing back." The elder man gave a stern look to Ikano as he cleared his throat.

"Yes, Father, I apologize. I would like to marry an American girl." Ikano looked at Britt as this was a surprise to him as well. "She and I have been dating for some time and..."

"Say no more, my son." He nodded. "I approve. You may."

"Thank you, sir." Ikano smiled as he waited for the questions to come later.

"You're right we need to talk later though." The elder man gestured to Britt as finished his tea.

"May I go to your garden and see it?" Reid waited for permission from the head of the household.

"Yes of course, Mista Britt please follow me." He stood up and Britt and Ikano followed into the garden. When they arrived. "You know my work with Hokkaido is for government contracts, no?"

"Yes, I know that sir, but what struck my attention is that Kato and I were investigating this Mr. X person." Britt started. He knew that Kato had divulged his secret to his parents with Britt's blessing. "He came here to Japan and was trying to get something from Hokkaido."

"Mista Britt, what you don't understand is that Hokkaido isn't a firm it's a code name for a government project. Hokkaido now defunct as parliament to away funding from it and shut down the front company more than a year ago now."

"I thought they were going to give another five years?" Reid raised an eyebrow at this revelation. He was moderately confused as he waited for the older man to resume. "I am sorry to interrupt you, sir."

"No, it fine." He cleared his throat. "Hokkaido was supposed to be in effect for ten year most." He turned away and went to the pond where his giant catfish swam freely from one side to the other. "It only now that public made aware that Hokkaido was used for counter intelligence to China."

"What would X want or know about it then?" Reid shook his head.

"I not know, but it could be that the mafia here in Tokyo know lays claim to the remnants." He nodded. "That been the new rumour."

Ikano looked at his father and then to Reid. "They known for their dealings with Hong Kong Mafia, Mista Britt."

Reid nodded. "I gathered that much but why would Hokkaido be a hot topic for them?"

"They know more than they let on." The elder Kato spoke. "Hokkaido know more than told even to us analyst."

"I see." Reid put a hand to his chin and thought for a moment. "So, whoever is pushing the buttons from behind knows that we're here now and are looking to get answers about X and his connections to Hokkaido."

"Hi." The elder man nodded. "Most probable, Mista Britt."

"Okay, well I appreciate you taking your time to talk to us, sir." Reid paused. "Ikano if you want you should remain with your parents and explain your... situation to them and then to me later on." Reid chuckled and pat his friend on the shoulder. "See you later."

"Goodbye Mista Britt." Ikano nodded Mrs. Kato showed Reid out the front door.

"He good man, Ikano." His father looked at him squarely. "So tell me about my future daughter in law?"

Kato gulped as he realised he was going to need to give his parents the entire details of how and why it happened.

~GH~

Three Days Later...

That evening the Black Beauty pulled out of the freight box she had been shipped in by private arrangement with his shipping company. It was a 'business' expense but proved useful when needed. Reid had not found any leads that made him suspect that X had moved off to Hong Kong already. He knew that was likely the next direction the mysterious super-criminal was headed. But, why he was here and what he hoped to gain was unknown and too much of a risk to let slide. Reid had set up his private residence at a small Tokyo Apartment he rented out for a month. He didn't know how long it would be that he would be here, but he knew that The Green Hornet spotted might shake things up and make X appear faster than he wanted to.

The Black Beauty was gliding through the night as Tokyo was lit up by the reflection off Mount Fiji. It was an awe inspiring sight to see. The Hornet wished he was here to sight see, but he knew that would have to come another day. Kato rolled the car into a back alley where it had been suspected that the Mafia had been operating of late. "Kato stay sharp we're not on our home turf."

"Right you are." Kato looked around as he got out of the car with his friend. The two men were dressed as the dreaded Green Hornet and his assistant, Kato. Kato looked over his shoulder as he saw a group of young men that were gathered together by a trash dumpster. "They might know something."

"How do you know?" The Hornet looked at Kato with some surprise.

"By his tattoo on his arm, Mista Britt." He pointed to the head youth's exposed shoulder where it had some sort of tattoo of a dragon that was similar to a Chinese serpent. "Seems out of place here in the capitol of Japan."

"I think you're right, Kato. Let's go crash a party, eh?"

"Right behind you, Mista Britt." The Green Hornet came over as the three young men looked at the Hornet and Kato were dressed in masks.

[["Oh look it is the master with his dog."]] The main youth took out a switchblade and spoke in Japanese to Kato.

[["This dog can bite pretty hard, Punk-kid."]] Suddenly the three teens lunged at The Hornet and Kato with martial arts moves, but Kato was quick to react as he side-kicked one kid in the back of the skull and he landed on the ground with a thud. The Hornet grabbed the other boy that was tailing behind the lead youth with a quick move of his own. The knives were dropped and once the two beaten boys got up they ran off... which left the main boy to fend for himself.

[["Come back you cowards!"]] The looked at the Hornet and Kato and stood proudly he was not going to be scared off that easily.

[["Where is X?"]] The Hornet instantly grilled him in his own tongue.

[["He not here! He went back to America!"]] The boy was ready to defend himself when or if they attacked.

[["You're lying to me."]] The Hornet growled in veiled anger.

[["I don't know where he is. I don't know who he is, but he said you were coming... he said to look for a man in a black car and Green mask... and that you would ask where he was."]]

[["If you don't know where he is, how do you know what he's said?"]] Kato looked him challengingly.

[["Because he was here looking to recruit members of my gang and other rival gangs for his street power."]]

The Green Hornet gassed him with his gas gun and nodded to Kato. "Tie him up. We need to roll."

"Yes sir." Kato immediately bound the gang member up and put the seal of the Green Hornet on him. "What we do now?"

"He said something that triggered my memory about something. I am sure he doesn't know what's going down, but I bet his boss does." The Hornet got back into the Black Beauty and Kato got in the driver's side. The engine revved and The Hornet called the Tokyo police to come pick up their package, but they would be long gone in the process.

Kato waited until the Hornet was off the phone before he pressed him further. "You say you might know who the 'bosses' are?"

"Yes. Do you remember a while back last year when we were breaking down a smuggling ring and had Kyoto Industries investigated for smuggling arms and weapons into the city?"

"Yes, Japanese government shut them down, no?"

"Right. Well, they never were able to find AKIHIKO OHNIKO**." **

"Who that?"

"He's the reputed Mob Boss of the Tokyo-Nippon Mafia." The streaming car of the Black Beauty rode through the streets like they were back home. The lights of the city were reflected off the cars black paint job and the superpowered engine hummed quietly as the car stopped.

"Oh, well if he is the one we are after then he might know where X is?"

"I bet he knows exactly how to find him." The Hornet reloaded his gas gun and Kato made sure he had stinger darts that were coated with a knockout drug at the tips of their needles. Once flung through the air after they embedded into the skin they would render a person knocked out for a short time.

"Where he at?" Kato asked as the Hornet told him to quiet down. The building they approached looked like an abandoned warehouse that had long since outlived its usefulness. Kato got alongside his friend and waited until all seemed quiet. Both of them slipped inside the warehouse and a small pocket flashlight that the Hornet carried lit up the warehouse some. In the back of the room they found what looked like an office that was being used, because a small lamp had been left on. The Hornet waved Kato over with him as they approached the strange scene. Inside the small office they found the body of a man that had been slumped over after the had been shot in the head.

"It's a trap!" The Hornet yelled out and suddenly there was lights that were beaming through the cracks and crevices of the warehouse.

[["We know you are in there, Green Hornet! Come out with your hands up! This is the police!"]] Kato instantly looked at a small window that was open in the back of the small office.

"Mista Britt, we can go through there!"

"Right, let's move." The Hornet grabbed a small remote that was tied to his belt inside his coat and the Black Beauty suddenly turned on. It was parked away from the scene so the police hadn't noticed it. The window led to a small creek that was full this time of year. "We'll need to make a dive."

"I follow you first. Go!" Kato ushered him on and suddenly bullets rang out as the police swarmed inside the warehouse. Kato and The Hornet dove into the small creek that was freezing cold. Both men swam for a few hundred yards until they were far enough away from the warehouse. The Black Beauty had followed the remote signal to a small inlet. Kato helped the Hornet up on to the bank and they climbed and over to the street inlet that ran adjacent to the creek. "We almost get caught that time."

"Someone's watching us." He struggled to catch his breath.

"You are right, Mr. Green Hornet." There was a voice behind him and a cock bolt that meant that it was ready to fire.

"Who are you?" The Hornet turned around and saw the face of Akihiko Ohniko with two henchmen who held the guns.

"You know who I am Mr. Reid and I know who you are thanks to Mr. X." The Hornet saw a dark figure in the shadows that could only be the sinister Mr. X.

"A set-up eh?" The Hornet raised his hands as did Kato.

"Don't try anything funny or we will pump you full of lead." X came out from the shadows and he was wearing a coat and hat. A scarf wrapped around his face concealed his identity even through he appeared in the light. "I told you would regret following me here."

"You've hurt people and put them in danger."

"Small price to pay for a profit. You're a businessman Mr. Reid." The henchmen came over and took off the Hornet's mask as well as Kato's mask. "We'll tie you up and leave you for the cops. The infamous Green Hornet caught in a trap styled like his very own. How fitting... This is the end of the road." X signaled to his men and the tied the two men up well so their hands were bound and and they could not reach anything to assist them. The gang left as the sirens of the police could be heard in the background.

"What we do now?" Kato asked Reid as he saw Britt panicked.

"I don't know, I think we're done for..."

TO BE CONTINUED!


End file.
